Nudibranchs

These creatures are fantastic! And there are a lot of species in the White sea:

Coryphella verrucosa. The red protuberances on its back are its gills (look the third photo). They are red due to a big liver (the liver tissue is also in the gills). These nudibranchs feed on hydroids but they don't digest them completely. They do not digest the cnidocytes, and the coryphella keeps the alive cnidocytes at the top of its gills. Thus the nudibranchs are able to sting like the hydroids!

Aeolidia papillosa, which feeds on actinias. This is the biggest nudibranch in the White sea, over 7 cm in length!

Dendronotus arborescens. Its gills are tree-like, that is a mimicry! The nudibranchs are mating on the second photo, and are laying eggs on the third photo.

A small Palio dubia. These nudibranchs have no gills with the liver that contains the cnidocytes. Their gills are small, and they are located around their anus.

Palio feeds only on bryozoans.

Ancula cristata is a bit similar to the previous species. Its gills are also located near the anus. So are the gills in the both next species:

Acanthodoris pilosa is rather numerous in the sublittoral zone (among the Ascophyllum algae).

Cadlina laevis. A nice nudibranche that feeds exclusively on sponges. Such preferences are very rare among the nudibranchs.

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